Location-based services for wireless devices are only beginning to become adopted. Such wireless devices may include cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), as well as more application-specific devices intended for use by service persons and other workers. Cell phones and PDAs are typically small in size, so that the individual user can carry such devices on his or her person for example, in a belt holster, a backpack, or a book bag. Purpose-specific wireless devices may be incorporated into vehicle-mounted communications equipment or other apparatus used in connection with the service or field visits of the person, although of course service persons may as well carry individual cell phones or other wireless devices.
Although the service of tracking the geographic locations of wireless devices is known, those services are generally used only to track the location of field service workers, children, or others carrying wireless devices and subscribed to a tracking service. The tracking services may monitor the location of a participating wireless device and periodically prepare reports, based on locations and times of the location information, so that a parent or supervisor may later take action as deemed appropriate. In the case of application-specific wireless devices, such devices may monitor additional inputs, such as vehicle speed and ignition on-off status, and periodically report that information for supervisory attention. However, such prior systems generally do not provide real-time or near-real-time remote management of wireless devices or their features and functions,